Archives for March 2014

Papa’s Pilar, the new super-premium rum inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s spirit of adventure. Both the Dark and Blond are award winners and we’ve recently had the pleasure of sampling both.

“Papa’s Pilar is the only rum supplier utilizing a solera that contains rums of various ages and sources of supply – each unique in their own right, ” said Jay Maltby, lead master blender, Papa’s Pilar. “This exclusive process creates a one of kind liquid that is singular in its creation and final product.

Although we enjoyed both the Dark and Blonde over just a piece of ice, we thought we’d give a couple of recipes a try. This is the first one we’ve tried – and thoroughly enjoyed!

Bitter’s & Blonde(makes one – we doubled the recipe below for the tall glass)

As I sit at my desk and try to craft an interesting post on something travel related, all I can do is daydream about an upcoming tropical adventure. As these thoughts have pretty much taken over my brain today, I thought I’d write a little bit about – Vacation Anticipation…

Looking forward to vacation?For me, a case of Vacation Anticipation usually sets in about a month before departure. At that point I start to think about the feel of the warm Caribbean sunshine on my pasty winter skin, jumping like a kid again into the clear turquoise water and letting the sound of the waves and the coqui frogs lull me to sleep.The lists begin at that point.
Miniature toothpaste tube – check
Extra camera cards – check
Sunscreen – double check.

As the time gets a little closer, I accumulate a little pile of things to pack in the corner of my room. I start to think about the taste of a cold and fruity rum punch while sitting on a comfortable lounge chair in the sand with a perfect view of the water.

So is Vacation Anticipation a blessing or unnecessary mental gymnastics?

Given the fact that the actual vacation comes and goes before you know it, I’ve grown a bit fond of my Vacation Anticipation. Why? It allows me to get in and enjoy that vacation state of mind for a longer period of time…

We are lucky enough to have spent many great years traveling with our two fun and adventurous kids, but now they’re grown and we travel as a couple – or with friends, most of whom have grown children of their own. So how did we end up at Beaches Negril Resort & Spa, chosen as the #1 Hotel for Families in the Caribbean for 2013?

Well, due to unforeseen circumstances during a trip last fall to Jamaica, we did – and loved it!

One of 2 pools at Beaches

We were a little skeptical at first, thinking it would not be a relaxing 5 days, listening to screaming kids and sitting amidst aDisney type of environment, but we didn’t find that to be the case at all.Perhaps because Beaches Negril sits on a lushly landscaped 20 acres right on Seven Mile Beach, it seemed as if there was room for kids to be kids and for adults to relax and enjoy the sunshine and scenery.

What did we enjoy about our stay at Beaches? We’ll show you!

Welcome rum punch (made with Appleton of course!) while checking in

Open air lobby

Waiting area just off of lobby

Well -appointed, comfortable roomwith mini bar, coffeemakerand deck

All-inclusive! Choose from a variety of delicious offerings at 7 specialty restaurants

Seeing families enjoy spending time together while enjoying the beautiful Caribbean.

Although we were traveling without kids, we enjoyed our stay at Beaches Negril Resort & Spa. Looking for an adult-only resort? Beaches Resorts are the family friendly properties of Sandals Resorts. Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa is also located on beautiful Seven-Mile Beach and offers an all-inclusive adult only experience.

Flying down to the tropics a couple of months ago, I sat next to a young woman anxious to get to her destination for the week to relax and unwind. I asked her what she liked to do to relax and unwind on vacation and she said she was most excited to find a quiet spot in the shade on the beach, curl up and read – non-stop she said, for the whole week.

She had chosen a book a day and started the first vacation read on the plane on the way down. She asked what books I had enjoyed lately and what books I brought down to read and I was a little embarrassed to say I just had a few trashy magazines that I’d purchased at the airport to thumb through. “Ahhh,” she said. “Not a reader, huh?”

Ouch. Well, I actually am a reader. Really. It’s just that I’m not a huge vacation reader! Even though “reading material” is on my Tropical Vacation Packing List, I tend to leave the choosing and packing of it until all other essentials such as cameras, music, sunscreen, rum money, etc., are tucked safely in place.

So, as I pack for an upcoming adventure, I have a goal. I’m going to try and read one book this trip. Probably one short book, but nonetheless one book.

If that goes well, I may even begin shopping for an electronic reader. My voraciously reading friend on the plane said that’s the way to go. That way I wouldn’t have to choose a book based on size and whether it would fit in my luggage, right? She recommended the following three. Any feedback based on experience?

The Buccaneer Beach Bar on the Dutch side of St. Maarten has a great location right on beautiful Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay.

With a big beautiful deck overlooking Simpson Bay and plenty of lounge chairs waiting for you in the soft, white sand, it’s a great place to spend the day. The grill is open from 5:00 – 10:00p.m. and serves up a variety of delicious fare from cheeseburgers to fresh seafood sandwiches. Fresh pizza is served in the evening.

View from the deck (photo: Buccaneer Beach Bar)

At night the bar gets busy and while sipping your favorite rum or other cold beverage, you can enjoy the sound of live music several times a week and the soft glow of the fireball on the beach on Friday and Sunday evenings.

Fireball on the beach

During the day, enjoy the sunshine, soft sand and beautiful blue water.

We love to talk tropical travel and we love that you ask our opinion! But, the hardest question for us to answer is actually the one we get asked the most, “Which Island Should I Choose For My Vacation?”

Why is that a tough question? Although we’ve yet to meet an island we don’t like for some reason or another, everyone has such different vacation tastes. Some want the best beaches, others want shopping or luxurious accommodations or absolute solitude. The best fishing, snorkeling, rum, diving, sailing, hiking, historical sites, foliage….the list goes on and on. Now that we’re actually helping people find and book their tropical vacations through Rum Therapy Vacations, we’ve been trying to come up with a method to help people select destinations based on different criteria, but decided the best thing to do is what we already do – show you the islands through our photos and let you know what we’ve enjoyed – then you can see what areas you might be interested in visiting!

Below we’ve listed many of the islands we’ve recently been to and just a few key words of what we’ve really enjoyed about that island. Some are links to articles we’ve written on that destination with additional pictures. There are many additional GREAT things about each of these islands, but here are a few tips to start with.

Ready for a little tropiciation? Let’s go to the islands!

Some of the attractions/hotels/features on islands affected by Hurricanes Irma and Marie in the Fall of 2017 may have changed from when we initially wrote about them. If you have questions on their current condition, please contact us.

BahamasFind a place to get “off the grid” in one of many out islands, beautiful white and pink sand beaches, bonefishing and other fishing, snorkeling, peace and quiet, conch, variety of accommodations, swimming with the pigs, swimming with nurse sharks

St. Barthelemy(see map)Great place to yacht watch,high end shopping,excellent dining,beautiful beaches, homemade vanilla infused rhums, overlook of Gustavia Harbour, watching planes land on the very short runway!

Have you heard of Francis Bay, St. John? It may not be as well know as some of it’s other beach neighbors, but if you’re looking for a long beautiful beach that is usually not as crowded, it’s worth the drive.